Device for fastening belts



No. 6|9,5l4. Patented Feb. l4, I899.

G. W. SOUTHWICK.

DEVICE FOR FASTENING BELTS.

(Application filed Nov. 14, 1998.

(No Model.)

. the cross-piece. The ends of the top plate rest.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. SOUTHWICK, OF NOROTON, CONNECTICUT.

DEVICE FOR FASTENING BELTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,514, dated February 14, 1899.

' Application filed November 14,1898. Serial No. 696 ,339. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SoUrHwIoK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Noroton, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Device for Fastening Belts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a device for fastening the ends of belts by means of staples which shall be simple, inexpensive, and easy to operate, which may be conveniently moved, so as to enable the operator to fasten a belt in any position, which will hold the two ends of the belt independently of each other, and which will tend to draw the ends toward each other as theyare being clamped in the device.

With these ends inview I have devised the novel implement or device of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numbers and letters being used to designate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a perspective illustrating the use of my novel fastener, one arm of the top piece being in operative position and clamping one end of the belt, the other arm being thrown outward, so as to permit the other end of the belt (not shown) to be placed in position on the bed-plate; Fig. 2, a plan view of the bed-plate Fig. 3, a section on the line m a: in Fig. 1, both arms of the top piece being in operative position and clamping the ends of a belt and a stapling-tool being shown as setting a staple in the ordinary manner. Fig. 4, a similar section of the arms of the top piece, the bed-plate and stapling-tool being removed; and Fig. 5 is a plan View of a portion of a top plate, the arms being closed together as in use and being shown as provided with sets of slots of different sizes, so as to provide for fastening large and small belts with long and short staples.

A denotes the bed-plate, and B the top plate. The bed-plate is provided at one end with a cross-piece 1, which is raised above the surface of the bed-plate and the edge of which is adapted to serve as a straight-edge. The other end of the bed-plate is provided with a raised portion 2, which is the same height as upon these raised portions when not in use.

3 denotes threaded openings in the bedplate, which are adapted to receive thumbscrews; 4, points or prongs which extend upward from the bed-plate near its edges and engage and hold the respective ends of the belt, and 5 denotes grooves, the action of which is to turn the ends of the staples after they are driventhrough the ends of the belt and to cause them to lie parallel with the face of the belt on the pulley side, but without turning the ends of the staples into the belt. I preferably provide the edge of the crosspiece with a point, as at 6, and provide a groove or mark '7, extending along the face of the bed-plate from the point to the threaded opening 3 at the opposite end, which serves as a gage-mark for the abutting ends of the belt.

The top plate B consists of two arms (indi cated specifically by 8) which are hinged to-' gether at one end. 1 preferably use for connecting the arms of the top plate a hinge consisting of upper and lower plates 9 and 11, formed upon or rigidly secured to one of the arms, and a plate 10, formed upon or rigidly secured to the other arm and adapted to lie between plates 9 and 11. In use the top plate is secured to the bed-plate by means of a thumb-screw 12, which passes through openings in the plates of the hinge and engages one of the threaded openings in the bed-plate. Thumb-screw 12 is provided with a head 12, the under side of which is adapted to engage the surface of plate 9 and clamp both arms of the top plate firmly to the bed-plate, but leaving plate 10 and the arm of the top plate carried thereby free to swing, plates 9 and 11 being made stiif enough so that they will not clamp plate 10 unless great pressure is applied. The arms of the top plate are provided with corresponding slots 13, which register with each other and also with grooves 5 in the bed-plate. At the ends of arms 8 opposite to plates 9, 10, and 11 are semicircular openings 14, which when the arms are closed together form an opening through which a thu mb-screw 15 may pass. Surrounding the semicircular openings upon the top of arms 8 are raised tapering flanges, which together form a circular incline 16. Thumb-screw 15 is provided with a head 15, upon the under side of which is an inclined flange 17, which is adapted to engage incline 16 and draw the arms of the top plate toward each other when the thumbscrew is turned down to place. The inner edges of arms 8 are beveled on their under sides, as at 18, so as to enable the arms to be passed over the top of the ends of a belt and crowd said ends down upon the points. In Fig. 5 I have shown the arms of the top plate as provided with two sets of slots to adapt the device for use upon large or small belts and with long or short staples.

19 denotes a staple which is being driven through the ends 20 of a belt by an ordinary stapling-tool 21.

In use the operator loosens thumb-screw 12 sufficiently to permit the arms of the top plate to be swung open. One end of the belt is placed upon the base-plate, using cross-piece 1 as astraight-edge and carrying the end of the belt forward to groove or mark 7. One arm of the top plate is then swung over this end of the belt, bevel 1S acting to crowd the belt down upon the points, so as to lock it securely in place. -The other end of the belt is then placed in position in the same manner, with its end abutting against the end already locked in place. The other arm of the top plate is then swung to place, and the end of the belt that is being operated upon is forced down upon the points, as before. The operator then turns thumb-screws 12 and 15 to place, said thumb-screw 15 passing through the opening formed by the semicircular openings 14 and engaging the bed-plate, flange 17 upon the head of the thumb-screw engaging incline 16 upon the arms of the top plate and acting to close said arms tightly together and retain them in the clamping position. After the ends of the belt have been locked in place in the manner described they are fastened together by staples driven through the belt by an ordinary stapling-tool 21 or in any suitable manner. Grooves 5 in the base-plate are so shaped as to turn the ends of the staple at right angles after they have been driven through the belt and cause them to lie on the under side of the belt, but Without being turned backward into the belt, as I find it far better in practice to have the ends of the staples lie parallel with the pulley side of the belt and to flatten them down thereon with a hammer.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A device of the character described comprising a base-plate having grooves, a top plate consisting of armshiuged together and provided with slots, the slots in the arms registerin g with each other and with the grooves in the base-plate and means for securing the top plate to the base-plate so as to clamp the ends of a belt in position to be operated upon.

2. A device of the character described comprising a base-plate having grooves and upwardly-extending prongs for the purpose set forth, a top plate consisting of arms provided with slots registering with the grooves in the base-plate and at one end with hingeqplates and thumb screws one of which passes through the hinge-plates whereby the top plate is secured to the base-plate.

3. A device of the character described comprising a base-plate having grooves 5, upwardly-extendin g prongs 4 and threaded openings 3, a top plate consisting of arms hinged together and provided with slots adapted to register with grooves 5 and thumb-screws which pass through the top plate and engage the threaded openings in the base-plate.

4. A device of the character described comprising a base-plate having grooves 5, crosspiece 1 and raised portion 2, a top plate consistin g of arms hinged together and the hinge end resting upon the cross-piece and the other ends of the arms being adapted to rest upon raised portion 2 and being provided with semicircular openings 14 and thumb-screws one of which passes through the hinged end of the top plate and the other through openings 14:, both of said thum b-screws engaging the baseplate and acting to clamp the ends of the belt between the top plate and the base-plate.

5. A device of the character described comprising a base-plate having grooves, a top plate consisting of arms hinged together at one end and provided at the other end with semicircular openings 14 surrounded by inclines, said arms being provided with slots registering with the grooves in the base-plate, and thumb-screws engaging the base-plate one of which is adapted to pass through the hinge end of the top plate and the other through openings 14, the thumb-screw which passes through openings 145 being provided with a head having a flange which engages the inclines to draw the arms of the top plate toward each other and retain them in the clamping position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE 1V. SOUTIIVVIOK.

W'itnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, S. V. I'IELEY. 

